ROW - 105

Row - row I’am from Kenya - from Azania - Angola - Egypt
row I rowed the boat - row I rowed further
the more I rowed
the farther -- from MY FATHER
oh Brothers
row I rowed the boat
the more I rowed
I -- losing sight of MAMMA
ah Sisters
row We rowed the boat
with every stroke We rowed
across River waters
losing sight of My SURE Shores
as I soon smelled
A NEW MOUNTAIN’S WATER.
from Nigeria - Zaire - Kenya - Senegal
Row - row I rowed the boat
around Me BROTHERS rowed
rowing in protest - anger an’ regret
ROWING WITH DEFIANCE
there beside Me SISTERS rowed
rowing in refusal - in shame - in nakedness
ROWING FROM FEAR OF REPRISAL
with Me many VILLAGES rowed
rowing
from fear of -- what’s in store
from fear of -- division
from fear of - DEATH
rowing from fear of -- WHAT’S GOING ON
rowing away from Home
to a distant shore
to the ‘UNKNOWN’
WE WERE FORCED TO ROW.
there … I can see the stars - there is hope ahead - hold on
Row be strong
away from Father’s ... ‘Embrace’
from Mamma’s ‘Bosom’
leaving familiar Settings
losing sight of My Village
I was FORCED to go.

Row - row We rowed
enchained to Brothers - with Father’s Discipline
Mother’s Blessings - with Sister’s Help
THE CONFUSION We could not - B~R~E~A~K
to run -- FREE of muttered discourse
the Spirits of Ancestors were all around
but the CLAWS of evil had a strong hold
so I was FORCED
with the living and the dead
with the brave and the despair
to ROW - to GO
to a new Land-space
I DO NOT KNOW AS HOME
far away
“to an ADOPTED Land
stockpiled like carcasses”
spurred on by the FEAR
of a capturer’s hook
jeered on MOCK~ING~LY
by the jealousy of this racist’s voice
pushed on persistently
to carry on in urgency
as the only care and concern was for
‘his CARGO’ to bring in - the highest price. see - the
stars shooting - messages are being sent back Home
Wha~a~at? to de’Kongo - Villages of Uganda
PRISONERS ROWED ... hoping towns of Tanzania
with the help of Those - THERE
and Those yet - TO COME
somehow … They will BOND
to break - FREE of the smell of this discourse
to be - LIBERATED of the stench of this dialogue.

Row ... rowing - rowing away
from the security of My Village
from the sanctuary of
taken for granted simple things
Customs
becoming mysterious - becoming - stolen from Us
Families divided and Our loss so devastating
it mounts to
MOURNING - SCREAMING - MADNESS
on the top of Our voice BAWL~L~ING.

Mi Bred’da from Gabon - I’m from Botswana
Love of Sis’ta a’ Ethiopian
Brother - Sister
Friend or Self
going down - down - DOWN
down the hull of a ship
drowning a~a~away from Us
Language con~founded and being taught
DE~RIVED BACK to Us
the concept of self-hate, NOW
began to find itself a new resting place
as Inner Souls were before time flying away
going to Mount Zion
to prepare for ... I -- I an’I.
Look Mother Sun … there is Life for Our weary Souls.

A Brethren recalls by the crack of the whip
LIKENED TO ENCAGED ANIMALS
We were branded and stocked
sardine-like - AND - no regards to humanity
forced to hurriedly row
carrying HUMAN CARGO
to the ‘UNKNOWN’ destiny
far away from daydreaming
“WE - SENTENCED TO ROW.”

I had a feeling
on this voyage We go
NEVER TO RETURN
TO VILLAGE SECURITY
as the more We rowed
the more Black-Flesh SKIPS ... upon the waves
They do
Their FINAL dance -- the DEATH dance
what is now evident - Some were only chosen
to ANCHOR this floating pit
as Their “hopings” were selected - hopeless
and in silent indignation
I Flesh shivered to weep - no more
Black-Flesh quivers to weep - no more.
A~ah … I can see the ravens - Land is ahead.

The tears of a Nation
gave the once fresh - drinking Water
Its SEA-SALT TASTE
WATER - cresting to belligerent waves
no longer … have Its sweet taste to nourish Life
but with the bitterness of BLOOD
salty-water quenches My new thirst
by day the big star shines its working wonders
and cultivates the sweat of My brow
a new eating habit
by the day of mid-night
the stars fall - wishing a safety landing
with another Brother - with another Sister
with another Village
to the DEPTHS of the sea-grave
the splashing of waves against My prison
sounded like the CRY for help
Villages were being over-come
by ANGRY - warlike Waters
the Spirits of Wind an’ Water
were busy in defense and defiance
very intrudingly
trying to whip - away BLACK BLOOD -- stains
from off the crest and hull of “slave” ships
and with every splash
another Memory whipped away - washed away
another Mine -- fade
so the odours of DEATH
and the looks of WHY were present - everywhere
to the disbelief of a Peoples
NOW … taken captive.

The journey continues …

Row - row We rowed
to the ‘UNKNOWN’
to the Carib shores ... of Haiti, Brazil an’ Xaymaca
I an’I were FORCIBLY bounded - towards
a new Akkompong’s Water
rowing, rowing, rowing
away from My Kingdom
to the harshness of a new world
to the “Third World” ... I rowed.